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2003 Los Angeles X Games
Moto X Big Air Wrap-Up Report
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BRIAN DEEGAN LAUNCHES TO MOTO X BIG AIR GOLD
All-Time Moto X Medal Leader Closes X Games IX with Revolutionary 360 Invert
LOS ANGELES
Brian Deegan (Temecula, Calif.) took home the eighth
medal of his X Games career and his second career gold, earning top
honors in the X Games IX Moto X Big Air final at STAPLES Center.
The popular and versatile Deegan won the bronze at last night’s Moto
X Freestyle competition at the LA Coliseum, and landed the first-ever
360 backflip in Moto X Freestyle history thirty seconds after
competition time expired. Deegan was followed by
Nate Adams
(Glendale, Ariz.) and Kenny Bartram (Stillwater, Okla.), who
earned silver and bronze, respectively.
Tonight, Deegan brought his ever-expanding bag of tricks to Big Air
and landed the 360 backflip with precision on his first jump of the
night, driving a trick that was once considered impossible straight
into the record books and to the top of his growing list of X Games
triumphs. Deegan has dubbed the trick the "Mulisha Twist." He
dedicated it from the podium to his fellow injured rider Chris
Ackerman who was in attendance.
"I just hit it and the show was over," said Deegan. "I heard the guys
were going to pull a 360 backflip and I was sick of being the second
place man, so I just stepped it up a notch."
The Mulisha Twist earned Deegan a towering 97.67 score in his first
run of the night, vaulting him to the top of the leaderboard where he
would stay for good despite impressive efforts from the world-class
field of high flying competition. Adams was the only rider within
striking distance of Deegan, landing a heel clicker backflip no-hander
lander for a score of 95.33 on his second run, but settling for silver
once again after earning the same ranking in Freestyle. Adams also won
the Freestyle silver at X Games Global Championship I (May 2003,
San Antonio, Tex.).
"The sport has gotten so gnarly," said Adams. "It’s at a
new level now."
Moto X Freestyle proved Adams’ observation correct and then some,
serving as the backdrop for several historic moments in Moto X history
including not only the sport’s first-ever 360 invert (Deegan) but
also the sport’s first-ever 80 foot flip and first-ever off-axis 360,
both executed by Travis Pastrana (Annapolis, MD) in the Freestyle
competition held last night.
"Cowboy" Kenny Bartram took the bronze with a score of 92.00 on his
second run. Before his third run and with at least a bronze medal
under his belt, Bartram started the last run of X Games IX by first
carving a signature lasso imprint into the dirt with his tires before
launching off the ramp for huge air on his official run and then several
additional jumps for the audience. The fans at STAPLES Center loudly
showed their appreciation for Bartram’s extra effort, a fitting finish
to X Games IX. X Games IX was the largest multi-day event in STAPLES
Center history.
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Related Links
2003 Summer X Games (Special Report)
All X Games Since 1995
ESPN 2003 Summer X Games Site
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